The pomegranate symbolizes fruitfulness, learning, knowledge and wisdom. Inside the pomegranate are many, many crunchy, tart but sweet tasting red seeds and this is the part that you eat. The seeds are eaten by themselves (snack), put into salads or squeezed for their juice.

Needle felted vessels are easy to make, they’re useful and they make great gifts! It helps to look at a photo as you make your piece or better yet, if they’re in season, have a real pomegranate in front of you while you create.

2. Cut the ball in half with scissors. To hollow out the ball, pull out the core of poly fiber- fill or core wool from both halves of the ball. It’s very important not to pull too much of the poly fiber-fill out or the sides with be weak and floppy.

3. With white wool, needle felt the inside halves of the ball, felt till firm and smooth. Sculpt the insides of the ball into bowl shapes, emphasize felting in the curved areas of the interiors of the ball. Hold the two halves next to each other while felting to help make both sides the same. Felt red wool along the edges.

4. With sewing thread, wrap a handful of poly fiber fill or core wool for the knob at the top of the pomegranate. Cover the knob with red wool, needle felt till firm and smooth, leave the bottom of the shape unfelted so it can be felted/attached to the top of the pomegranate easier.

5. Place the red knob on the top half of the pomegranate, needle felt into place. Cover the area where the two shapes meet with red wool, needle felt around the connecting area to make the connection seamless.

6. To make the flaps on top of the pomegranate, take 5 tufts of wool. Find the center of each tuft and fold both sides down to make a triangular shape. Needle felt the triangles till firm and smooth.

7. With scissors, cut out the center of the pomegranate knob. Needle felt the flaps around the top of the knob. Fill in the hollowed out area with red wool and needle felt till firm and smooth.

Laura Lee Burch, originally from Greenfield, Indiana, lives with her husband and three daughters in Tel Aviv, Israel. A graphic designer and illustrator by training, she is an avid crafter and sewing designer, and the author of two sewing books on children’s clothing and accessories. You can contact her by visiting her website LauraLeeBurch.com.